Athlete funding model sees rich get richer

Talent and funding. The two terms have become interdependent within Canada's successful funding model for high performance sport. Ironically, this interdependence threatens the very existence of some of Canada's smaller, less successful sports.

Without talent, there is no funding. Unfortunately for some, the opposite is also true. Without funding, talent isn't developed. For National Sport Federations without a current elite high performance program, the funding model is paralysing the development of future talent.  

Essentially, our 'rich' sports (athletics, rowing, swimming, freestyle skiing) will keep getting richer with more funding, more athletes and more medals and our 'poor' sports (modern pentathlon, field hockey, nordic combined, ski jumping) will keep getting poorer.  

It stems from our 'targeted sport' model. Funding flows to those at the top of the pyramid. Elite high performance programs are awarded with funding. No elite high performance program, no funding. It leaves our 'poor' sports without the ability to recruit, develop and nourish young raw talent into elite performers.

To bridge the funding gap, these sports will need to use creative business ingenuity.

Obviously, privately funding a sustainable system not reliant on year-to-year funding handouts allows a sport to properly plan and develop raw talent. But these sports in Canada are understaffed, underpaid and typically not entrepreneurial.

Time to recruit from abroad

The answer may rest in the simple idea of enticing the world's best to compete for Canada.

Admittedly, the idea is at odds with the general perception of Olympic values.  Every two years the storyline of Canada's pride in "our" athletes, competing for "our" nation is at the forefront. Let me shatter this illusion: Olympic sport is littered with stories of coaches and athletes immigrating to other nations for more opportunity and a better working environment.

The idea isn't novel. Canada is already doing it. Daniel Igali, a Nigerian native, immigrated to Canada following the the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria and represented Canada by winning gold in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Ice dancer Kaitlyn Weaver, a native American, is experiencing immense success as a new Canadian, winning gold in last season's Grand Prix Final with partner Andrew Poje. And let's not forget Canadian born, Russian raised Patricia Bezzoubenko. She chose to compete for Canada's rhythmic gymnastic team despite being raised and trained in Russia.

These examples provide evidence of an underutilized strategy. Sports without funding can jumpstart a suffering high-performance program by recruiting internationally elite athletes with opportunity.

This strategy is not untested. In the lead up to Sochi 2014, Russia openly recruited athletes and coaches to join the Russian team. It was a tactic (among many, but let's ignore the potential doping allegations for a moment) to artificially bolstering their medal haul. It worked.

Russia won the overall medal count and the most gold medals. In reality, five of Russia's gold medals, and six of their total medals, were won by athletes (Viktor Ahn and Vic Wild) who weren't Russian citizens four years ago; a sum that would have dropped them to second in the overall medal count and into a tie for eighth in overall gold medals.

For sports without funding, it may be the perfect shortcut to an otherwise impossible situation. Reap the benefits of high performance athletes developed by talent rich countries.